The New Vanguard?

(5) Forum Discussion

Bradley is a second year player that has not only been named the starting MLB for the Eagles, but was also designated as the player to wear the defensive headset. What this means is that Stewart will be a 3-down backer and allowed to stay on the field during all situations, and this is huge when determining who to draft.

Stewart has good size at 6’3” and 255 lbs. and combines that with exceptional speed and athleticism. His coaches have lauded his abilities both on the field and in the classroom, stating that he has picked up the Philadelphia defense with remarkable ease. He was a standout on special teams for the Eagles in 2007, and when he finally got a chance to start late in the season against New Orleans, he put up 6 tackles, a sack, and an interception. While he may not put up these numbers each week, the ability is there.

The team solidified the secondary and defensive line in the off-season with the additions of ballhawk CB Asante Samuel and former Raider DE Chris Clemons. With a starting set of DEs Juqua Thomas and standout Trent Cole, the addition of Clemons, more playing time for second year DE Victor Abiamiri and a fully healthy Darren Howard as backups, the team should be able to generate a decent pass rush. They will rotate all of their DEs to allow them to keep fresh for the full 60 minutes every game.  This should cause many teams to leave extra players in the backfield to help protect the QB during passing plays, especially as the offensive linemen start to get tired at the end of a game. When the TE or RB have to stay in and block, it allows more open ground in the middle of the field and allows Bradley quicker lanes to get to the ball.

The addition of Samuel to partner with a solid Sheldon Brown gives the Eagles one of the top CB duos in the league. With a healthy FS Brian Dawkins returning and a solid hitter/tackler in Quintin Mikell assuming the starting SS role, the secondary should greatly improve on its numbers from 2007.

All of these things added together will provide Bradley a chance to put up very strong tackle numbers and big play chances.

Let the other owners grab the big name LBs early in the draft while you solidify your offense and stay secure in the knowledge that you can wait a few more rounds to grab a solid LB in Bradley.